CBS Local Station Claims Equipment Failure For Blackout During Karl Rove Story

Blogger Larisa Alexandrovna wrote about the blackouts that occured during a 60 Minutes story on how Karl Rove had helped to put Alabama's democratic Governor in jail. Alexandrovna pointed out that CBS in New York first claimed responsibility for the blackout. Now it appears the onus is back on the local Alabama station.

The New York Times reports today:

In an attempt to clear up questions about how an Alabama television station lost its signal at the start of Sunday's edition of "60 Minutes" on CBS, the management of the station, WHNT-TV, issued a statement Thursday citing equipment failure.

The station, in Huntsville, said that after a review, it had concluded that the blackout was related to a similar interruption during a basketball game the day before.

Comments

[ghostsofamerica]

"....Febru­ary 25, 2008 -- CBS News airs Siegelman piece on 60 Minutes

CBS News aired its long-awaited segment on the Governor Don Siegelman story. Siegelman is the former Democratic Governor of Alabama and the highest profile political prisoner of the Bush regime.

It is clear that the GOP in Alabama never wanted this segment to air. WMR previously reported that Alabama Republican Governor Bob Riley and Republican Senator Jeff Sessions pulled out all the stops with the White House and CBS corporate executives to kill the Siegelman story. Although 60 Minutes failed to cover certain important elements of the story, including the major conflicts of interest of Siegelman trial judge Mark Fuller and the 2002 theft of the gubernatorial election from Siegelman by Riley and Republican operatives close to Karl Rove.

During the 60 Minutes airing, the Siegelman segment aired by CBS affiliate in Mobile, WKRG-TV, was plagued by static. In addition, the Huntsville, Alabama CBS affiliate experienced a "technical" problem that resulted in the entire segment being blacked out. The station, WHNT-TV, is owned by Oak Hill Capital Partners, which, in turn, is partly-owned by Robert Bass. Bass and his brothers are friends and major supporters of George W. Bush.

WHNT-TV ran the following notice on its website after the blackout: "We apologize that you missed the first segment of 60 Minutes tonight featuring a report titled, 'The Prosecution of Don Siegelman.­' NewsChannel 19 lost our program feed from CBS. Upon investigation, WHNT has learned that the CBS receiver that allows us to receive programming from CBS failed. WHNT engineers responded as quickly as possible to restore the feed at 6:12 p.m. Our sincere apologies to our viewers across the Tennessee Valley."

Bass was the subject of a WMR report on February 8, 2008 that pointed out the close business connections between the Bush and Clinton families:

"In 2006, Chelsea [Clinton] left McKinsey to take a job with Marc Lasry's Avenue Capital Group, a $12 billion hedge fund. Lasry, a financial donor to the Democrats and the Clintons, was a founder of Amroc, a "distressed stock broker." Amroc's partner included Keystone, Inc., an investment firm linked to the Robert M. Bass Group. Robert M. Bass is the billionaire son of Texas oil tycoon, Perry Richardson Bass. Robert M. Bass is a long time contributor to George W. Bush's political campaigns. His brother Ed was a Yale classmate of Bush and remains a close friend. Robert Bass is founder of Aerion Corp., a Pentagon contractor­."

The Bass connection to Clinton's daughter is not the only link between the Clinton family and Siegelman's persecutors. On September 14, 2007, WMR reported, "Alabama attorney and former Alabama Republican Party assistant Jill Simpson almost acquired as her Washington, DC counsel a longtime attorney considered a 'clean up' man for the Bush family and its coterie of high-level politician­s." The attorney, Texan David Laufman, a former CIA attorney, Assistant US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and failed George W. Bush nominee to be Inspector General of the Defense Department, was recommended to be the head of Simpson's defense advisory group in Washington by none other than Bill Clinton, who, in the past, proclaimed that he was a good friend of Siegelman.

WMR has learned from two reliable sources that this editor, targeted by Rove after I began investigating the George W. Bush administration in detail four years ago, ordered a thorough background check by GOP operatives. I was recently informed that these dirty tricks "operations" continue to the present time.

The following videos are the Siegelman 60 Minutes piece (Part I and II):..."




FROM www.waynemadsenreport.com

see it on CBS, the whole peice

[ModV]

I went to CBS.com to find 60 Minutes and maybe see the show (even with commercials). I couldn't even find a mention of the program let alone that particular segment! The major networks are just not in touch with the wired public. They are dinosaurs on their way to extinction.

[JHinWA]

There is an easy way to solve this. Replay it. NATIONALLY. Follow up with more of the original story, as I know there is more to this story. This "black-out" incident is now definitely a part of a bigger story here.

[Counterglow]

Let me guess. These guys also have some prime ocean view land for sale in Kansas. Cash in advance, please.

[alexcharner]

Strong Obama supporters should know:

Jack Kingston, like all members of congress is up for re-election this year. I reached my donation limit for Senator Obama. Please join me in supporting slimebag Jack Kingston's opponent Bill Gillespie. A Fighting Democrat:

http://billforgeorgia.com/

Let's make sure these attacks on our country's future don't go unanswered.

[WaveFunction]

Hey, hey, hey.

Kingston is not a slimebag. He's just a regular, old-fashioned douchebag.

Let's make sure to preserve the unique meaning of slimebag by not throwing it around so much!

[plages]

Some would wonder if Alabama was having an electrocution, during the CBS show? Its all just so shocking!

[VOTER]

Play it again but without "interrupt­ions."

Why, not?

Hmmmm

[TLV]

It's way too sophisticated for them. It's that new-fangled thingy called digital video.

[MsLiz]

WHNT is located in Huntsville, a high tech city populated by engineers.

[speakingtruth2power]

We know that GE owns NBC but did you all know that Westinghouse,

another major MIC player, still owns CBS? Viacom only traded stock.

After the lessons learned from losing their war profiteering opportunities

in SE Asia, the MIC went and bought into the MSM to avoid the anti-war,

bad press that hurt them in Vietnam...­.. The fascists keep learning too.

[MooseShady]

Dude

Do your research correctly. All Westinghouse got dismantled. Summer Redstone owns CBS now.

[speakingtruth2power]

Westinghouse IS a serious player in the nuclear energy business and not dismantled.

Frank Carlucci was once Chairman of the board there as well as head of the Carlyle Group, a Secretary of Defense and an employee of the CIA. He was also a college roommate of Donald Rumsfeld and stock trades only marry interests, Dude!

[phlashba]

"Dude", do SOME research. Westinghouse is certainly not "dismantled". Which one of your talking brains told you that one?

http://www.westinghouse.com/

[Gary47]

The "equipment" is plugged in to the same outlet as the server where Karl's "lost" emails are hiding.

[lornejl]

Wasn't it CBS that fired Dan Rather for trying to take on dumbya ? Don't fuck with George, there will be hell to pay.

[msmaggie]

Oh for the love of God. Sometime's a cigar is just a cigar. I experience brief blackouts every once in a while, and I mostly watch the Food Network. Those anti recipe bastards..­...

[speakingtruth2power]

Another frog in the pot 'denialist', arguing that the temperature is the same.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

And sometimes a thorn is still a thorn.

Let's have some fun with math:

Odds of the glitch being in the state-of-interest = 1:50.

Odds of the glitch being in that one of say four segments = 1:4.

Odds of the glitch being in this, of say 1000 60-Minutes shows = 1:1,000.

Odds your rose is thorn-free?

1 : 200,000

It smells, all right.

[lornejl]

Wake up Maggie, I think I got something to say to you.....

[wndrwrthg]

It's the dreaded Antiasto rebels, trying to deny us our main course.

[bobsmith]

"I mostly watch the Food Network"

-------

Sometimes the most revealing information is the extraneous stuff.

[moderate1]

Conspiracy! Conspiracy!

[bobsmith]

Whoa.... slow down there bucko. Republicans don't conspire. They lie, cheat, steal, and cover-up right out in the open. They're aren't bright enough to "conspire", and even if they were, they're usually too lazy to mess with it. The only thing they make an effort to hide is sex - the few of them that have any.

[LeftLeaner]

Now that they've had MORE time to think about it, did they come up with their "FAVORITE" excuse?

[electricphoto]

REPLY FROM TV STATION ----------­----------­----------­---- A GREAT BS ANSWER

Two people at the station sent me the same excuse.. check out the "I am a Christian first comment".

Thanks for your e-mail. Sorry you are disappointed. NO ONE here is involved in a cover. That's absurd! We had equipment fail this weekend. Once during the Kentucky basketball and then at 6pm during 60 minutes. We did NOT have an engineer in the building to fix the problem and someone was called in to work.

We are not part of a conspiracy­..and if I thought WHNT was involved in something like that I would resign immediately! I am a Christian first, a husband and father secondly, and a journalist third! This was equipment failure..p­ure and simple. I'm sorry it's been so difficult for so many to accept the truth. No one did anything wrong. Accidents happen and we ALL hate it that it happened. As a matter of fact, we promoted the program for four days straight! Why would we then go and censor it? It just didn't happen.

Sorry you are disappointed. thanks for your e-mail and God bless,

Tim

Tim Hall
News Assignment Manager
WHNT-TV
Taking Action/Getting Results
[phone] (news direct)
[phone] (news fax)
==========­==========­==========­==========­==========
My Reply:

Tim,

I think you "doth protest to much". There is no shortage of good Christians who will repeat a cover story regardless of its basis in truth, quit a few less journalists who would do so.

A good and honorable journalist would ask:

What feeds were taken off of that satellite between Kentucky basketball and the 60 minutes story? Were there any and were any failures noted then?

Where was the redundant feed for the network and how come that was not used?

Why was the technical problem with the receiver not written up and repaired when noticed on the Kentucky game?

Why did your station issue a wrong story about the outage initially then change it?

Who signed off on the on air logs during the time of the outage?

I'm not disappointed. Disappointed is what Democrats say when Republicans lie, break the law, smear and put out cover stories. I'm interested in the truth. A journalist could answer the questions above.

[zendem1]

My first problem was when the guy mentioned the Christian part. Call me crazy, but when somebody says that, I always wonder why they felt it important to tell me. Especially since it had nothing to do with the topic. Your reply was excellent.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Re: "I am a Christian first, a husband and father secondly, and a journalist third! "

I'm sure Mr. Hall's kids just LOVE pop's priorities.

Question: If Mr. Hall came to his Christianity later in life, would he have demoted the wife and kids?

FerCRISsakes.

[nippersdad]

Sounds like a guy who would martyr his family for a cause. And isn't it significant that the News Assignment Manager of WHNT admits placing journalistic integrity at the bottom of his priorities.

[VOTER]

The story is of great interest to the people of Alabama.

Why not play it a second time without any interruption?

After all of this publicity, more viewers would turn on to watch and ad revenues should increase.

IT IS CALLED A "WIN-WIN SITUATION!"

Why not?

CBS will surely agree. Right?

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

It's reassuring to know the Christian fundies (no offense to christian NON-fundies) control the airwaves.

Who would JEEBUS censor?

[afgail]

Who in their right mind thinks their so called religion is a defense for doing evil? The station blacked out the Rove story because it was told to by those who will go to jail if the real backstory on Americas most prominent political prisoner, former governor Siegleman, ever got out. The station is part of the Bush II criminal enterprise.

[Metacortex]

no problem. Just air the report again, this time with plenty of coverage over the controversial blackout to drive up viewership. Problem solved.

[LeftLeaner]

Touchee...­..........­..........­.....but, unfortunately, that ain't gonna fly.

[VOTER]

Didn't read your comment.

You stole my thunder. Heh! : - /

Very good point!

[AurigaRa]

perfect!

[research]

Exactly! If this weren't deliberate, they would run it again.

[rbspickles]

Here's where all of Rove's, Bush's, Cheney's and the neocons' secret servalence ends up. They are NOT listening to terrorists, they are listening to corp execs, rivals in power and people who can do what the neocons want done. If they don't capitulate to the demands given, then they are blackmailed into removing news stories, donating to the RNC or just keeping their mouths shut about what they know. THIS is what is behind the wiretapping and data mining. So, if anyone out there is in a position of power or if you vocalize your disagreement with these whores in DC, be prepared to be bombarded with scewed photos of you with girl/boyscouts, having innocent conversations turned into buying drugs for your kids or whatever else Rove can come up with to destroy you. THIS is the real reason for the wiretaps and secrecy.

[Chandidevi]

This is reminiscent of Scientologists and how they operate with what they call SP's (Suppressive Persons). I read sometimes back, that Donald Rumsfeld was a Scientologist. Additionally, I read on the internet that Barack Obama has chosen Will Smith (a scientologist), to play him should such a movie ever be made. These "clams" are attempting to take over the good old USA. Sick!

[AurigaRa]

ADM, BOEING, GE .....and so many others, run those airy, expensive commercials that sell nothing to consumers, just post the company name. They are not pitching a product, they are buying influence. Then when the network wants to run something controversial, the corporates reign supreme by threatening to withdraw their support.

[radiojunkie]

this would be hard to pass as plausible fiction but I wouldn't put it past Bushco.